By Joseph Opoku MENSAH
Events are at the forefront of contemporary tourism industry – displaying their worth and power over cultural, political and environmental factors.
On this note – having noticed an increase in tourism as a result of events – more and more attention is being given to whether or not such events can be sustainable; specifically, how they can help build a community with minimal negative environmental impacts like greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. But where does Ghana stand in this evolving landscape of sustainable events-management?
The global shift toward Sustainable Events
The global events industry has been under pressure to adopt more sustainable methods of carrying out programmes.
These particular frameworks were developed in order to assist event organisers with a blueprint on how to reduce the negative effects their events could cause have on the environment. Economically, there has been good development in this area as it has been attempted in almost every country around the world.
Events such as the Olympics have raised the standard and integrated sustainability through all phases of the events-planning skyline, waste management and event site redevelopment – hence setting the bar for event-planners who are sensitive to green issues.
Nevertheless, this movement raises a valid concern: to what extent are such best practices being adopted and put to productive use in Ghana? While sustainability has become a key principle of every meeting in advanced countries, how these international parameters work in developing countries has been poorly documented.
Sustainability in the Ghanaian context
Concerning the sentiments shared at global level, one may point out the lack of engagement with developing countries like Ghana in the discussion and practice of sustainable events-management.
Most current studies related to sustainability in events-management pay more attention to mega-events taking place in the west. Events of national importance to Ghana which are making its tourism and cultural exchanges suboptimal or ineffective, usually, do not get such attention in sustainability action-planning. Because of this, small- and medium-sized events in Ghana are likely to be disregarded in the discussion on global sustainability.
One of the possible contributors to this situation may be the believed conflict between economic efficiency and ecological sensitivity.
This is particularly true for countries such as Ghana – where tourism and events are crucial contributors to the economy and where the notion that sustainability is bad for profitability still holds. But this excessively simple explanation does not take into account the possibility of reconciling economic and environmental objectives.
As a matter of fact, introducing sustainability strategies may even increase the value of events in the long run, in light of growing global awareness on responsible tourism.
Rethinking sustainability: a bottom-up approach
One of the most morale-sapping and restricting ideas that should be addressed in contemporary discussions on event-sustainability is the assumption development is only possible with top-down mandates or international norms.
Judging from Africa, and particularly from Ghana – where the regulatory regimes may not be as strong as in other countries or there may be limited resources, such cross-sectional and grassroots sustainability approaches can be symbiotic and even more effective. Informal approaches, local participation and other active community efforts can inform several types of interventions in planning and conducting events.
For instance, carbon offsetting is a prominent talking-point in regard to aggressive sustainability – and one should not ignore this step, as it is an indispensable piece of the strategy.
In a nation like Ghana, many other environmental dimensions – waste management, resource efficiency, social justice and others – are in equal need of focus. Emphasising only GHG emission-reduction activities may hide some more serious and urgent concerns impacting the region’s population.
Constructing a Ghana-centric approach
Within Ghana’s events industry lies the daunting task of crafting sustainability strategies which are appropriate to the country’s sociocultural, socioeconomic and environmental context. Existing international trends, although beneficial, may not adequately address the event management components of developing jurisdictions.
Difficulties such as resource constraints and priority differences are further hurdles Ghanaian event organisers have to contend with, making it important that affordable sustainability strategies be developed. Furthermore, embracing a Ghanaian perspective on sustainable events management is not limited to reducing adverse effects on the environment.
It is also intended to promote the positive impact that events can have on local communities. The events industry in Ghana should focus on potentials for creating jobs, developing communities and promoting culture while adopting good environmental practices.
The way forward
It is essential for sustainable event management in Ghana to take a different approach; one that assimilates global standards while at the same time emphasising specific requirements. By promoting local participation, applying local perspectives and encouraging partnerships among event-planners and other local entities, the country can develop an event management system that is both environmentally friendly and socio-economically productive.
As the world grows and becomes more and more conscious of the need for sustainability, opportunities rise for Ghana to step up and become a leader in green event management on the continent of Africa.
The path forward will doubtless meet many hurdles – but through attention to root causes of the problems and an emphasis on interlinking the environment and economic development, events in Ghana and further afield can be environmentally friendly for the region.
In other words, the journey to a sustainable event management paradigm in Ghana may still be a work in progress but it guarantees a cleaner and fairer future for tourism. The key is in the inventiveness of whoever is involved with finding a Ghanaian solution – one that is authentic as well as realistic.
About the writer
Joseph Opoku Mensah is a communications and marketing professional with a strong background in media relations, corporate communications and event management. He also serves as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Media Art and Communication.
